Georeferencing Specimen Data in GIS:

DIVA-GIS

Spatial Data Models

• Vector • Raster

Points, Lines & Polygons Grid-based, including Photos

DIVA-GIS Introduction• Free program for biologists, specifically

designed for biodiversity research, niche modeling

• Niche modeling is constructing empirical models of spatial distribution of a species based on the environmental conditions where the species is known to be present (use BIOCLIM, DOMAIN in DIVA).

• DIVA is similar to ESRI products, but easier to use for simple functions

• All files must be installed in the same folder and directory that they were originally made in, in order to open the project (*.div) on your computer (C:/DIVA-GIS/

• You can export DIVA as .dvx files to open on another computer

• In general, when you start a GIS project, keep your files in one folder

Add A New Shapefile• The layers on the left are

called features, many of them are “shapefiles” with the extension .shp

• To add a new shapefile, Click the “+” on top menu

• Find shapefile of interest (e.g. worldlakes.shp in Kenya-DIVA folder)

• Add it to layers on left• Adjust position in layers,

change display values• Hit magnifying glass with box

in it to “Zoom to Selection”

Editing DIVA

Features:• To do anything

with a feature (changes colors, symbols, get information, etc) first select it.

• Right click, a properties menu will appear

• Then change the color, symbols, etc. by double clicking on the box

Editing Features• To change a single

class to multiple unique values with different colors, first set the style of the single value to solid fill

• Choose “Unique Values”, and hit reset legend.

• Right click directly on the feature in the left menu to change the order of the layers, etc.

To Display Coordinates FromA Text/Database File

• Click “Data” on top menu• Select “Import points to

shapefile”, choose “From .TXT”, pick file

• Check the lat/long fields (must be in decimal degrees)

• Change Field names if necessary

• Click Apply• New shapefile will appear

on layers on the left

To Make A Selection (Select by Values)

• Choose the “Kenya” data on the left (these are NIMA features data)

• Select the “Query” tool (hammer)

• Click “Select by Values” tab, choose Adm1

• Leave checkmarks on 7 and 9 (Western and Nyanza Province), click apply

• The selected points will appear in yellow

• See statoids.com website for NIMA adm designations

Make selection into a shapefile

• Hit “Convert to Shapefile” button (s with arrow)

• These selected points will appear as new shapefile on the left

Querying for features (Select by Query)

• Select on the feature on the left

• Click the “query” (hammer) button, use “Select by Query” tab

• Field is “Fullname”• Criteria is “=“• Choose a name in value

and hit “Add”• Click Apply• Zoom to selected feature by

hitting button with yellow box in magnifying glass

Measuring on DIVA

• Select the arrow tool• Click on the starting point• Click on the end point• The distance appears on

the bottom middle (m, km)

• Double click to end the line

• Remember that NIMA data are only accurate to nearest minute (why the points appear in a grid)